Mohamed Salah enjoyed one of his finest seasons last term, ending with him receiving a new Liverpool contract, but weeks into the new season and questions are being asked with his form nosediving
Liverpool have so often got their timing right when it comes to juggling big players, big deals and big decisions. Few, if any, leave Anfield and go on to better things with the Reds largely getting the peak years out of their players before they move on.
Their principles were tested last season when Mohamed Salah, who turned 33 in the summer, wanted another bumper deal to remain with the Premier League champions. All the metrics suggested age would soon catch up with him, but the performances argued differently.
Salah enjoyed one of his best seasons last term, finishing with 34 goals. Only in his debut season did the Egyptian score more. This term though it has been a slower burner and the cynics will claim the warning signs were there.
It was April 11 when Salah penned his new deal. Liverpool were as good as champions already and everything seemed to be heading in the right direction. Their prolific frontman would soon see his numbers tail off though.
In the final nine games of last season he scored twice. He’s netted two goals so far this season. That means that since firing a blank against Everton in early April Salah has scored four times in 16 games. One goal every four games.
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For a man whose currency is goals, the numbers aren’t stacking up. Even his creativity has taken a major dip – he’s had three assists in his last 17 league games. All the while Liverpool’s own issues are being regularly publicised, perhaps shining even more of a light on the lack of contribution from their No 11.
For Arne Slot it has been a summer of change. The hope was that he’d build on a dominant season as Liverpool eyed successive titles for the first time in 37 years. Instead the huge investment in the squad looks to have put everything out on sync.
Five wins in the opening five matches covered up serious cracks, the type of cracks that even Salah looks to have succumbed to. Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike have both come in to lead the line – so far there’s no obvious solution to who plays where.
Florian Wirtz, a British-record arrival for a period, has come in as a conventional No 10 but has endured a slow start. Fitting him into a system that has rarely had a playmaker is still taking time. And Trent Alexander-Arnold, Salah’s partner down the right, moved on for Real Madrid.
Jeremie Frimpong was bought in as his replacement. Conor Bradley also continues to push for more involvement at right-back. But the number of changes have been stark and that seems to be impacting on every player in the team.
For so long Liverpool’s approach has been simple but effective, bar a few tweaks over the years. High energy and lightning pace in transitions were all hallmarks that suited Salah’s game. Now as they look to change their style with new personnel, it is not working as well.
Every stat proves that Salah’s impact on games has declined. He’s having fewer shots, fewer shots on target, he’s having less chances, dribbling less than he used to. All leading to a diminished goal return – and even his attitude has been questioned.
In the aftermath of the loss at Chelsea, Liverpool’s third defeat in a week, Wayne Rooney said: “Top players have an ego, and Mo Salah has been one of the best players in the league for a long time. “When it’s gone well, you’re scoring goals and you’re winning games, it’s great and the team will put up with that.
“But over the last week, I’d question his work ethic. I know he doesn’t always get back and defend as much, but in the Chelsea game, his full back is getting torn apart, and he is watching.”
It was ultimately Chelsea’s full-back Marc Cucurella, a man who should be policed by Salah, who would provide the cross for the stoppage time winner at Stamford Bridge. Salah has been freed of some defensive responsibility, but generally that has been offset by what he offers in the final third. Not right now.
This new age Liverpool still needs its star of previous eras to produce what they always have if they are to evolve. Salah has been a goal machine for eight years. Within the last month he was declared the fourth best player in the world at the Ballon d’Or awards.
Right now, he looks miles from that level. Just how much of that is him and how much of that is Slot’s Liverpool 2.0 is a source of debate. Either way, the forward and his manager need to find a solution.
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